


Alone in the Field

by jaime_les_corbeaux



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Bittersweet, Bittersweet Ending, Fluff and Angst, Implied/Referenced Character Death, M/M, a bit of hurt/comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-15
Updated: 2020-05-15
Packaged: 2021-03-03 05:33:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,928
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24169657
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jaime_les_corbeaux/pseuds/jaime_les_corbeaux
Summary: “I knew you’d be here.”Tony looked up, an unreadable expression on his face. “Hey, honey,” he said, eyes softening, and he beckoned for Steve to sit down.“Been looking for me?”Steve nodded, relaxing as he plonked down in the grass. “Yeah.” He frowned as his throat suddenly constricted. “For a while.”“Well,” Tony said quietly, “you found me.”
Relationships: Steve Rogers/Tony Stark
Comments: 17
Kudos: 77





	Alone in the Field

**Author's Note:**

> Is it bad that I love writing slightly confusing things? No? Yes? 
> 
> Either way, hope you enjoy <3

Steve woke up at five A.M., mind racing, and, finding himself unable to get back to sleep, got up, his aching body protesting as he got to his feet and padded into the kitchen.

He had a moment of confusion, realizing he was in an empty house, and one thought came to the front of his mind, big and bright and flashing in its importance. 

_Tony. I’ve got to go find Tony._

Neglecting a breakfast, Steve slipped on his shoes and went outside. He had to find Tony. Everything else could wait. And Steve knew exactly where to check first.

When they had first moved into their home, Tony and Steve checked out the area around it. It was a large property in a more rural part of the state, easily seven acres, and the surrounding land wasn’t owned by anyone, so they pretty much had free reign of the entire area. 

They had a nice garden in the back of the house that had dwindled as they’d grown older, as it was more difficult for them to keep it up. Past that was woods, with a stream running through the trees and a few areas where they’d built treehouses and such for the kids and their friends.

It was all quite lovely, but even farther back, past the kids’ hangouts and the waterfall that fed into a crystal clear pool, perfect for swimming in the summer, was a field. Tony had found it one day exploring, and instantly grown attached to it. It was, frankly, beautiful. There was a small section that they mowed to avoid ticks, and built a firepit and a few swinging chairs, and hammocks in the trees before it. After that, however, there was nothing but long grass and flowers. Beautiful, vibrant flowers. There were a few rebellious trees in the middle of the field, providing shade and a place for birds to perch, as well as good climbing conditions, especially from the massive oak tree smack dab in the centre of the grass.

They both loved it, but Tony grew especially attached to the area, and Steve could often find him there, simply relaxing and taking it all in. Time seemed to pass differently, there, sluggish and warm, confusing but nice, and often when they decided to go back to the house, they’d be disoriented, and find it to be a much different time than they’d thought it was. 

At first, they’d been wary, suspecting some kind of magic or foul play, but a thorough check revealed nothing. It was simply a trick of the mind, something that Steve was forever grateful for. He wouldn’t have been able to handle it if their home had turned out to be dangerous, or a trap.

Steve felt strength flood back into his limbs as he made his way through the trees to the field, and walking became easier and more comfortable. His pace quickened, and though he felt calm, there was anticipation burning under his skin. He hadn’t been to the field in a long time, not since...he frowned. No. That wasn’t right. It was just that, as he grew older, the trek seemed longer and longer each time, and eventually, it stopped being worth it. Especially without...without...

He shook himself and continued on, abandoning his walking stick after he crossed the wide part of the stream. He suddenly felt fresh, breath drawing into his lungs easily, the breeze cool but not chilling on his skin, the sound of birds, rustling leaves, and running water clear and pleasant in his ears. It was a nice day, the nicest he could remember experiencing in a long while. He hoped Tony was enjoying it.

As Steve reached the edge of the trees, the sun was coming up over the horizon, and he spied the outline of one of their hammocks in an old birch. A lump formed in his throat, and he paused, willing it away. It had been too long since he was here. Why had he ever stopped coming?

Continuing on, he ducked under a low hanging branch, and there was the field, just how he remembered it. Well, not exactly like he remembered it. The circle of grass they’d mowed was once again overgrown, obscuring the fire pit and the bottom of the swinging chairs they’d put down. Steve sighed, and, wishing he hadn’t dropped his walking stick, waded through the thigh-high grass.

His initial mission came back to him, as seeing the field again had made him briefly forget, but nothing could really make him forget why he was there, and that was for Tony.

And there he was.

Steve paused, swallowing, emotion welling up in his chest. Tony. His _husband._ He...

Steve loved him. So much. 

He’d missed him.

“I knew you’d be here,” he said, thankful that his voice held up.

Tony looked up, an unreadable expression on his face, before he smiled. “Hey, honey,” he said, eyes softening, and he beckoned for Steve to sit down.

“Been looking for me?”

Steve nodded, relaxing as he plonked down in the grass. “Yeah.” He frowned as his throat suddenly constricted. “For a while.”

“Well,” Tony said quietly, “you found me.”

They sat in silence for a bit, and Steve found Tony’s hand in the grass next to them, gently squeezing it. He glanced up at Tony, a soft smile pulling at the corner of his lips, and Tony, tears suddenly forming in his eyes, rested his head on Steve’s shoulder. He sniffed, and Steve let his own head drop onto Tony’s, letting go of his hand to wrap his arm around his husband’s shoulders.

As they watched the sunrise together, Steve couldn’t remember a time in recent years where he’d been so...happy.

“So,” Tony said, breaking the silence, “why’d you come find me?”

Steve chuckled. “Can’t a guy want to spend time with his husband?” Tony snorted, but Steve tightened his grip on him, growing a little more serious. “I...honestly don’t know,” he admitted. “I woke up and that was the only thing I could think about. Finding you.”

Tony was silent, and Steve closed his eyes, breathing in the smell that was so unmistakably _Tony_ , the smell that had faded from the old pillowcase on that side of the bed despite Steve never washing it, that was gone from the house, gone even from Tony’s favourite scarf, favourite shirt, favourite sweater (that had been Steve’s in the first place.) Steve had missed this, had not forgotten it, he could never have forgotten. 

He wasn’t sure if it was better or worse that he remembered everything.

Feeling Tony shift against him, Steve opened his eyes, suddenly aware that time had passed. He lifted his head, and, yeah, there we go, the sun was hovering just above the trees at the other end of the field. He sighed, and stretched, letting go of Tony, who made an annoyed noise and glared at Steve without anything behind it. 

“Hey,” Steve asked, getting to his feet, “wanna race to the big oak?”

Tony groaned, but he smiled, and got up, shaking his legs out. “Of course you’d suggest a race, Rogers,” he grumbled, but it was fond, and Steve grinned, feeling warm and happy and light as a feather.

“So that’s a yes?”

“Yeah, yeah.” Tony waved him off with a smile. “Sure, I’ll run, but we both know-“ 

He took off, and Steve yelped, letting out a laugh as he raced after him. “Hey, you cheater!” he yelled, catching up to Tony. “That ain’t in the rules.”

“There are no rules,” Tony shot back. Steve rolled his eyes.

“Well,” he said, “I’m still gonna beat you, so...” he grinned, and winked, before increasing his pace. He forgot how _good_ it felt to run, having stopped his morning jogs several years ago. He was Captain America, for gods sake. He was made for this.

Reaching the tree, Steve stopped, barely out of breath, and turned to see Tony slowing down several yards back.

“C’mon, Tony! Finish the run!”

Tony only flipped him off, and Steve laughed, and laughed, and laughed, until his gut hurt and it was hard to breathe. He wasn’t even sure what was so funny, and clearly, Tony didn’t either, as he clapped Steve on the back, and, in an amused voice, asked: “What’s so funny, Cap?”

Steve shook his head, smiling so hard it hurt. “I don’t know,” he gasped. “I guess I’m just...I’m really happy.”

Tony’s eyes went soft, and he kissed Steve on the cheek. “I know,” he murmured, “I am too.”

After he’d calmed down, Steve turned his sights on the tree, and after a questioning glance thrown at Tony was returned with a nod, he swung himself up onto the first branch. Staring up at the canopy of leaves, weakening sunlight filtering through them, he smiled, and continued his upwards climb, not bothering to look back because he knew that Tony was following him. 

A strange sense of déjà-vu came over Steve as he reached his favourite spot, high in the tree, and he looked down at Tony, a few branches below him. As his husband reached him, Steve offered a hand and pulled him up to where he was.

They watched the sun go down, evening birdsong seeming to echo across the field, and they didn’t leave their position until they couldn’t see the sun anymore.

The climb down was more difficult than the climb up, but they reached solid ground safely, and, suddenly feeling too tired to run back to their usual spot, Steve sat down near the base of the tree, the long grass almost acting like a pillow, plush and cool, more comfortable than Steve remembered grass being.

Tony leaned against him, and Steve changed his position, turning so he could comfortably wrap his arms around Tony and his face fit in the crook of his neck. Tony’s hand came up to rest on the back of Steve’s head, and he let out a contented sigh. 

He was happy, he was _so_ happy, so why did something feel off?

“I love you,” Tony murmured, and the wrong feeling disappeared, leaving only a warm satisfaction.

“I love you,” Steve said, pulling back so he could kiss Tony, and god, he could have cried, because it felt so goddamn _right,_ and he’d missed this so much, this ease, this warmth, this light that was _Tony,_ and his mouth and his hands and his eyes and his solid chest. Crickets chirped around them as it slowly got darker, he heard spring peepers in the distance, the leaves rustled above them, and he was with Tony, Tony Tony Tony. He was here. He was real, and...

Steve couldn’t remember ever being more exhausted.

He let his head drop onto Tony’s chest, unable to keep his eyes open anymore. “‘M tired,” he whispered.

Gently running his fingers through Steve’s hair, Tony sighed. “I know, honey,” he said softly, voice sad. “It’s okay. You can rest.” And then, in a voice so quiet anyone other than Steve wouldn’t have been able to hear it, he said: “I’ll be here when you wake up. I promise.”

Relief running through him, Steve sagged against Tony’s body, all of the fight going out of him. Warm and happy, tears pricking at the corners of his eyes, Steve let go, and he drifted off to the sound of Tony’s heartbeat, letting the darkness take him.

——

They found his body five days later, alone in the field. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed! :)
> 
> comments and kudos make my day <33


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